Cutter head for corn cutting machines



Oct. l2G, 1931. F, w. Dou'rHrrT 1,828,648

CUTTER HEAD FOR CORN CUTTING MACHINES Filedvrsept. 1e, 1929 s sheets-sheet 1 Oct. 20, 1931. F. w. DouTi-IIT'T 18,828,648

CUTTER HEAD FOR CORN CUTTING MACHINES Filed Sept. 18, 1929 E 3 SheebS-Sheet 2 illllllllm i y JZ a f Tl Z9 29 Oct. 20, 1931. F. w. DouTHlTT 1,328,548-- CUTTER HEAD FOR CORN CUTTING MACHINES Filed Sept. 18, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 E: m I w #ar-f mi @iw/)Q Patented Oct. 20, 1931 f [UNITED PATENT. omgcE-q :FnANK W. 'nou'.rnrr'r, oFon'roNvILLE, MNNESOTA f CUTTER nnen non CORNCUTTING MAcHiNEs l Appnati: ieal's'emembe VV18, i929. yserial No. 393,480.

` s ageway 16 and adapted to be mountedon a corn cutting machine, vnotY shown. `Aizially aligned with the axis of the feedpassagewayY 16, at the innerv yface of the head plate 152 is an iris-like cutter17 comprising four blades '55 My present invention` has for its objectf 'i' theprovision of a highly efcientv cutter'head for general use in'connection'with variousY different typesjof cornfcutting machines for )their c obs. .A i To the above end, the inventionconsists of LL f ytiontaken onthe irregular line n; i5 year :of `corn indicated `by vbrokenjlines and the novel devices and combinationsfof devices hereinafterv described and defined in lthev claims.

Referring to the` 'drawings f some partsV showny in different positions by means of broken lines and r`further., showing insection an earl of corn inv said'head; f

, Fig. 2 is a rear elevation ofthe parts shown -in-'Fig 1;

Fig. 3, a detail view .principally secytion taken on theV irregular,"liney 3443 of,

Fia. 2;r

25 1mg.; i is dean view pfincipauyj if.' S88'- tion taken on the line of Fig, 1;

' Fig. 5 isasde elevation of thejeutter"heady 1 contact with the vbottoms of the seats 24 so that 4only the longitudinaledge portion s.oi .l

' said Shanks contact with the seats 24to reduce as shown in Fig. 1 L

.0. Fig-6 isa vie',Wprincipally.incentralvery ticalsectiontaken on'the line-,656 vof Figi 1;

isa perspective view `ofv one ofk .thej leversand the parts carried from the cutter head;V

7,1011y anv enlarged scale;

Fig. 9. 's a perspective.

, gutter blades removedfrom itsI lever; Y i Flg. 1Q is adetailyievv principally insec tion taken en the irregular linelOlOof Fig.

respective `view Fig. 12 is. a planyiewof ther cutter,- as

Shewn in Fig. 1 with the exeepae'n aaa is contracted to its smallest: diameter.

The numeral indicates uprighthead `r`11ym"z'oplate having a round'transverse feedpasthe accompanying drawings, whichV i .lustrate the invention, like characters indi- .lcate like parts throughout the several views.

thereby,` removed Fig. 8 is a detail View 'sec-` 18 `and aniris-like diaphragm 19 .having a corresponding numberof rshutters 20L VSaid "cutterblades 18 and shutters 2 0` are carried by four g klevers l21 intermediately,,pivotedg 'through bossed openings at .22 `to' the'head platel' on theinnerfface thereofforoscilfj latory movement in a plane parallel yto said`r head plate. Eachk cutter bladeY 18L is flat' in v cross-section and formed with its heel is a5;

wide shank 23. These cutter` 'b1ades .-18 vare rigidly butl detachably secured to the levers 21`by having their Shanks 23 mounted in *long seats 24formed in wide heads 25 on' the free ends of the inner arms of Ysaid levers and project into the passageway 16.v f Said shanks 23 having dove-tailed interlocking engage- "lment with the seats 24 by endvvise sliding 'movement Stop shoulders l26, on theshanks 23, limit fthe movement of said shanks int theirseats 24and properly position thecutin cross-section and'l their. `backs areV out of friction and thereby facilitatelthe kmovement 'ter blades`18. The shanks 23 are segmental of the shanks 23into and out of their seats 24. i Set-screws 27 having threaded engagement with the heads 25 from the backs thereof, 'ifm-f; pinge against the Shanks 23 vandfriggg'idly'hold .the same in their seats 24. '1 -he inner bosses f i" View of Oneof the `onthelevers21 at theirpivotalfsupports 20 are vrelatively short, Contact with'thehead plate 15 andhold said levers out offen'gage; ment vtherewith for free swinging y movements The .pivotalfconn'ections 22 ofthe "levers 21 are circumferentially spacedequiy i distances .about the feed passageway'` 16 and are located the same distance from. the axisY I thereof. VEach `cutter .blade 18,is re1ativelyf9- 108g. extends, Spirauy from ,itslshanksin .the

arc' offa circle. The cutter bladesl18 are" circumferentially 'spaced' in tubular vforma-L tion about the axis of the feed passageway 16.1r lThe curvature of ther cutter bladesz'18' is edges of the blades18extend'the full lengthy thereof and the cutting edge of one blade extends under the back of the adjacent blade* 18. Q-The cutter. blades 18by their tubular `-and spiral formatioifi form a continuous rseries.of"overlapping spiral cutting edges.

1 .When the cutter 17 is contracted to its small;-

est diameter, the free end portions of its cutter blades'18` extend outward of the tubular formation thereof so that the cutting of the f kernelsof corn from the cob is performed action-. i

The pitch of only by theheel portions of said blades. As i the cutter /17 is expanded, the free end por.-

tions of itscutter blades 18 are progressively p 33 mounted in' an annular channel 34 in the outer face of the head plate 15, and. to which drawninto the tubular formation for cutting the long spiral cutting edges V`of the cutter blades18issuch as to cause said Y. bladesto produce a drawing cutting action Y thatv removes the kernels of corn from the cob V.als

withA a cleanfcut and this formation of the cutter17 is such as ltorequirea relatively/light j pressure-to feedthe ear of corn therethrough. Thepurpose of the iris-like diaphragm 19 i is -to prevent the kernels of corn from folu lowing the cob as they are cut therefrom thus y .avoiding waste. The diaphragm 19 substan- .tially closesr the feed passageway 16 outward *ofthe tubular formationproduced by 'the active portions of the cutter blades 18. The

. diaphragmshutters 20, .as shown, arein the` form of hat plates riveted to the inner arms ofthe levers 21 at the inner faces thereof and .Workclose to the adjacent faceof the head plate 15. The mountingof'the shutters 2O,v

on the levers 21, is such that they pass over one. another .during the contracting and expanding movements of the diaphragm 19. The f ree radial edge portions of the shutters 20 are `rolled away from the shutters overl which they overlap to prevent striking, see* Y tofsaid cutter. This Vdepth gauge 28 com?" Cooperating with the cutter 17 an iris` like depth gauge 28 that is automatically con -trolled by ,anfear of corn passing therethrough prises f four vcircumfeurentiallyvv spaced segmental sections, the receiving ends of which V f secondary arms 29 integrally formed with the inner arms of the levers` 2l. Said secondary arms 29 hold the depth gauge 28 axially aligned with the cutter 17 and axially spaced therefrom. This depth gauge 28, by its engagement with an ear 4of corn being fed axially therethrough, holds the levers 21 with the cutter blades 18 expanded to a diameter to cut the kernels of corn from the ear at a predetermined depth. l

' To vary the depth of the cut made by the 'cutter 17 the sections of the depth gauge 28 are jmounted onthe'l secondary arms 29 for radial adjustment., The adjustable connections between thesections of the dept-h gauge 28 and secondary arms 29 include radially extended bifurcated extensions 30 integrally formed with said Sections, slidably mounted in'channel seats 31 insaid arms and secu-red `therein by binding screws 32. These binding Ascrews 32 `extend between the prongs of the gauge extensions 30, havescrew-threadedengagement with the .secondary arms29 and their heads impinge Aagainst said.V extensions to `frictionallyfclampf the samev inthe seats Y 31 andvhold the same where set.

The levers 21 'are connected for simultaneous movement by an annular shift ring they are connected by bolts 35. Thesebolts 35 extend through short, longitudinally exten-ded slots 36 in the outer arms of the levers 21, through circumferentially extendedy slots 37 in the head plate 15 and holes in the shift ring 33. Said bolt-s 35 are rigidly secured in perpendicular positions to the shift ring 33l by .shoulders formed therein and nuts having threaded engagement with sai-d bolts fric.

yto vthehead plate 15 by screws 410 land attached one 'toV each of. the bolts V35. yare circumferentially spaced equi-distances Saidv screws 40 apart and have threaded engagement with the.he'ad plate 15 closeto the inner wall of Athe channel 34:.- The springs 39 are' underI strain to turn theshift ring 33 in the.k direc- Qtion of the arrow vmarked thereon in Fig. 1 lto simultaneouslyoperate the levers 21 and contract thecutter 17.,`v diaphragm 19 and gauge 28.]` The springs39, of course, will; :yieldandpermit' abackward movement to the` shift ring 33 Vwhen the levers v21 `are movediby'theaction of anfear of corn Xpassging throughthe depth gauge'28 during its "feeding movement tto the cutter 17.

'f' ForV thegpurposeof Vthis case it `is `not thought; necessary to `,show the mechanism for feeding anfear of corn through the cutter headwith` 'the exception of vthe power operated reciprocatingplunger'41, as shown 1n :fitage-,eee

l the feeding movement of the rear.l of corn ,i

into the gauge 28 by theplunger 41, saidr gauge is expanded and therebyautomaticallyg positions the cutter blades k18for action to-` cut the kernels of corn from the 'cob at the, desired depth and also simultaneously op-V erates the diaphragm 19 to -close the feed-L:` passageway 16 and prevent the kernels from; following the cob therethrough. n

The extreme contractingmovement of the cutter 17 is limited by the engagementof thea, heads 25, the one with the other incircum-,f

ferentially spaced arrangement about they y n on, each arm, '--saidsupporting plate. having axis of the cutter 17. To limit the contract, ing movement ofthe cutter 17 there'gis *pro-7,. vided an eccentric 42 secured to theheadfl plate 15 by nut-equipped bolts 43 in different circumferentially set positions and arranged to ybe engaged by the upper right-hand leven; 21, as shown in Fig. 2. v n Y The purpose of limiting the contractingfvf movement of the cutter 17 is 'to prevent unnecessary movements lthereof when 'cutting' the kernels from large ears of corn, for in-f,

stance, in the early part of the season when,

the ears are small vand eccentric 42 may bef-, y

adjusted to permit the cutter blades 18 tot, contract to a small diameter, but as therseason;` advances and the ears of corn' increase in size the eccentric 42 may be adjusted to limit thisj contracting movement of the cutter 17 Dur-k fA` ,eiach ler/lernt,` its inner end ,having a seat Afor cutter 17 may beV expanded to the desireding kthe adjustment of the eccentric 42 the,I

diameterby manipulating one of the handy'` levers 38. e

A lock is provided for holding ringl 33 with the cutter 17, diaphragm 19 and, depth gauge 28 expanded to substantiallyj their greatestl diameter. This lock, as ,Y

shown, is in the form ofan arm 44 pivoted atvv 45 to the head plate 15 and having a lock notch 46 and a stop linger 47, at its free end,y arranged to be engaged by one of the bolts., 35. Normally this lock arm 43 rests on thelf': respective bolt 85, as shownin Fig. 1 to per-j mit free oscillatory movement ofthe shift ring 33. To lock the shift ring k33 with the,y

lock notch 46 to receive said bolt, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. p' v l As the cutter blades are made `from yspring steel, their free endfportions ywhich are unsupported will yieldlonk substantially radial lines that'extend from theaxis of the cutter and hence closely hugthe irregularperiphery ght necessary to position,

the Shift',

ychine. comprising a supporting plate having 1825 fof. a aceptandrerneretthenenernlfell .efflthe ernels f l; Afpntten heed fer n, p0rn-...netting Inephne'zeernpreng n Supporting Yplete .haring-@vo acentral opening therethrough, `a series of; levers pivotally attached tothe Afrontlface of said supporting plate` and movable in acplane parallel-frh the/ieee Oiseed-pleey each y p inner endA havinga seatfor ehm; enttine blade, e entnns` .blade haring SnLppertine- Ltens@nteehed te ,the/Seen 10i eeieh leven eeifdfbflades extending Spirallyfnernthe Sn,ppentna-ftens andv forming eceerieepf ererleppinseprnl 'enttingedsee eenrlererese f hav-nsfaenne 'thereon preieetingfn. tirent @0f the'F putting; blade, n depth sense Supported i ehenneln the rene vface thereof eenpentrc 1 te the centen of the .Opening tlnengh;y 1 their connected,tojsaidring and .tol said fplatent p` the rear, thereof for;normallytholdingsaid Y evers withl'the cutt'ingblades iny contracted ineeeprnpreing nenppertng plate having afceiitral, ,opeilingE therethrough, a series '.,of

levers pivotally attached to the l front l ,face kof ksal-,d supporting plate and movable, ,inf a plane; parallel with the .face ofsaidl plateg auttingfblade, a cuttingblade lhaving a enpppltng feng nttnehedftethe .Seanof eachv -leYe Seid, lelneleSAY extendingSpinelliL Yfreln thesupporting tangand formingpa4 series foftglo o overlapping spiral; cutting ledges; said.- levers 'arms thereon,projecting-in-frontsof the :.enttnsfblede @depth sensel venppfntenl enfffeeehenlaeedSupporting plete haring e ehnnnelgn; the? neer fe'eethereoconcentreem tog the@,centerl of the.openingthroughg the platefand having slotsthr'ough the plate in ,alinementgwthsaid channel, a ringlocted` finfendehanneladeveee;carried@bytherng Y y f and extending through said slots,l andcon- 15 n ,(nectedf yto 1 said, le-vers, .yielding means 1f concutter 17 expanded to substantially its nectedfgto!saidlringand'to said lplate at the l rear thereof for normally holding said levers with the cutting vblades in contracted position, and diaphragms carried by said levers for maintaining the opening through said y i plate closed outward of the cutting blades.v respective bolt 35 and thereby position they,

3..A cutter head for a. corn cutting Ina-L a'centralopening therethrough, a series of*` levers pivot'ally attached to the front face e 10o y 5.4 f magma v 'suppoiting tang 'attached y'to theseatlof each f' lever, said blades extending spira-Hy folny the supporting tang and formi'nga 'series of V'oi'e'lapping 4spiral clittin'g'edges, Said levers,v E. '-haiiingarms-theieon projecting in r'oit 'of 'the f cutting bladeV a depthgage Supported O'ne'a-ch'ai'rn, said Asupporting platehaving a v c'hn'nelV in the ieai' jface thereof :Concentic to' the vcenter vof the 'opening through ythe 52210 pla'te and havingslots' tho'ugh the plate vin alin'einei1t"With said channel, *a Ting `locatedV said channel, devices vcarried :by 'tliei'ng alidyextending th'rugh 'said 4Slots'ai1d'-dn- "nect'ed to said lev'er's, yielding. "ineans fc'o'nf *3"15 rheated to said ring fand to 'said 1"pltefatthe "rea thereof foihoi-inally holding Said 'levers vfith the cutting bladesginycntact'ed 'pfosi tion, and 'means carried Saidpla'te Afor w v'h'o1di'11" g'said fing in aset position with the 26 cutting blades7`r'nied 4outward to an "eXtendedpo'siticn.' y Y `4. v'A cutter head "for a corn cutting VInachine comprising a s'ilp'porting 'plate having j "a central "Opening theet'hrough, "a series A'of Vv"'f'levers 'pivotally attachedfto the frontace 'ofs"aid"sl`ipporting plate andnlo'vablein a f f'pla'ne v`parallel vwfiththe face of said plate, achleier atitfs inner vend having'a Seat for W a cutting blade, a cutting blade having a "3 "slp'po'ting' tang attached tothe 2Seat of-each V- lever, aid V'blades 4extending Spiially fm `-the"s`i1'pportingftang and oniing a Seies lof Y'oeilap'ping 'sI/jiral ciitting edges, 'Saidll'eifers having aims'thereo'n projecting y"in front of *385 the cutting blade, fa depth gnge @imported v'"on E'each ar'n,t`said "supp'orti'ng'plte having alc'han'nel'in they-rear' face thereof" concentric to the 'center Vo :the 'opening `4-th'roiigfh 'the plate land ha'vi'ngiSlots throghthe plated-in "T1540 "falinement with Said` channel, ating located in w`said' channel,` 'devicesvc'aried *by 1rthe "ring 'ande'xtending :through l'said `slots and cnnected 'to "said levesfyi'elding means foonit i nected to "Said Ting and to said plate at vthe *45 ltearthereof 'fori normallyholdingfsaidlevers -`v'vithft'he. cttigblades' in Contracted position, *fand an jadjustabl'e. I'ne'ans 'carried "by said plate and adapted to limit- `thefni'ove- W ment ofthe "blades'inwardly YEto*'coIt'ated 'Y *i60 position. A f t L i "-Intestimonywhereof Igaxfinyzsi nt're. 1 v FRANK -DOUT TT. 

